Search

I hate to sound whiny. KIDDING! I love it. I do it so well that I hate to give it up. Seriously, here’s the thing. This is getting into like old-fashioned, self-serving, navel-contemplating blogging territory. Just so you know.

I make really bad graphics for this blog. Actually, the ones I made for my old blog were waaaay worse. I like to think of them as kitschy. The mascot for my old blog was a flatulent feline named either Gass Purr or Lucy Furr. Can’t remember what we went with. I am NOT a graphics person. Not an artist. But blogging is visual. How many times do you click on a link without a graphic? I’m guessing very few because you probably think it’s Russian spam. Graphics are important, and that’s why I spend a few minutes here and there making talking birds and gassy kittens and like such.

I started doing a feature here called Today’s Mood. It’s mainly for when I can’t or don’t want to write a full post, but have something to get off my chest. Usually the Mood posts are just graphics. I try to be good when collecting elements to use. People work hard to make Photoshop brushes, backgrounds, stock photos, and all manner of things. I can’t afford to buy a lot of images so I rely on the awesome people who let others use their work. Attribution is generally required, and I try to be good about making sure there’s a link to the elements I used. Hence, the Elements Page. Sometimes the terms of use get confusing, so I honestly want someone to tell me if I’ve used an image I shouldn’t have or failed to give correct attribution. People who make free-use art are AMAZING. I once had a very kind photographer WRITE TO ME to thank me for using a stock image of hers. Those are the kind of people who give their hard work out. They’re people who have never met you, but take the time to contact you for using their work. That’s what I love about all this internets web stuff.

Yeah, so this horse you rode in on thing. Wrote about it already, but then I got to Googling. Bad, bad, bad mistake.

If you need to catch up, read this. I made a graphic, people shared it, I got screwed. Fortunately, it’s not as bad as what’s happening to The Oatmeal. Not fortunate for him, obviously. And, just to digress a second. If you’re not reading The Oatmeal, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. You probably also need more grain alcohol in your life. Anyway, his work was posted to another site without attribution. When Matt Inman (creator of The Oatmeal) gently pointed out to this particular website that he’d really like credit for his own work, dude turned around and sued him. And don’t confuse the pronouns here. The douche who posted Inman’s work without attribution sued Inman. Yeah. Kuh-ray-zee. I am not dependent on this blog for a living because I made very wise investments in a company that produces those totally worthless worth it lubricating strips on razors. I don’t like to brag about it, but I am so independently wealthy I have a butler whose only job is to open my bathroom door. Were I dependent on this blog for money, not only would I be screwed since I can’t imagine who would be crazy enough to advertise here (Sutter Home? Call me!), but I’ve had some graphics ripped off so no paysies there.

A graphic I made using some vintage clip art from Tack-O-Rama (stuff I actually BOUGHT, y’all) went viral. And no credit was given to me or the blog. I love that it’s getting shared. Love it. I would also love for people to read the blog. When the graphic gets shared without a link back to Yeah And Another Thing, people don’t come say hello and how else am I going to get any validation? HUH? Like the (closet) optimist I am, I sent a few messages to a few websites saying, hey. Listen, y’all. I’d love for you to keep the graphic up, but do you mind linking back to me? Then I looked on Pinterest and that was just depressing. It’s all up on there. Then I did an actual image search and had to take to my fainting couch.

I don’t want to come off like a bitch here. I would really love for people to share the graphic, but I’d really love that they do it in a way that credit is given. This is why I think my next stop is to delete my Pinterest account. Yeah, I’m getting militant. I try to make sure the images on Pinterest actually link to something, but now I’m concerned they aren’t being linked to the correct something. I know several friends and readers have spoken up to say where the original image came from, and I really appreciate it. I have since gone back, visibly watermarked the image, and strengthened the digital mark, but it’s like closing the barn door after the elephant has smashed the grapes. Whatever. I didn’t grow up in the country. Metadata gets overwritten, some people are dillweeds, and stuff happens.

If you come across the graphic–and one website referred to it as a meme–and you are so inclined, make a polite little comment noting where the original image came from. I would appreciate it, and I hope I never have to return the favor. I would say I’ll never make a graphic again, but I’ll probably just never make one again that anyone is interested in.

Also, and this isn’t so much related, I’d like to be called Sugarpants now. Update your contacts and whatnot.